Here are the catastrophic risks UBS sees in a world with 'extreme connectivity' and robots

The ever-greater use of technology and automation is continually
transforming the global economy.

But as connectivity between industries and countries increases,
so the system becomes more fragile.

The world is open to catastrophic risks that can fell energy
grids, companies and even country infrastructure.

The incredible advances — such as streamlined production, lower
costs providing goods and services, and better connections
between people and companies — come at the cost of higher risks
of devastating attacks.

The UBS report "Extreme automation and connectivity:
The global, regional, and investment implications of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution," sent to Business Insider, is epic, but
there were six major points that stood out to us.

Here they are:

Hackers will be able to shut down entire power
transmission or generations systems — "In
particular, the rise of extreme automation and connectivity via
'smart grid' systems, while improving energy efficiency and
helping match supply with demand more effectively" may
vulnerable to hacks.

Cloud computing make it easier for hackers to bring down
a series of companies, not just one — "... cloud
computing allows companies to outsource a host of IT tasks
via extreme connectivity, including soft-
ware installation and server maintenance. But if the IT
infrastructure of a large number of companies is managed and
distributed by a single cloud-computing provider, the damage
inflicted by hackers could be significantly greater than an
attack on a single company."

Emerging markets more the most exposed to
attacks — "Without strong international and
institutional frameworks governing the protection of data,
cyber security, and internet privacy, access to the full
benefits of extreme connectivity may be
stymied.UBS argues that extremist
groups like ISIS are able to greater publicise and promote their
causes.ISIS

Terrorists or dissidents are able to greater publicise
their actions — "Extreme connectivity is also fostering
geopolitical tensions. It increases the ability of diverse
groups to organize protests and offers the potential for
greater publicity to violent extremists.

Therefore "extreme connectivity has the potential to aid
violent extremists" — UBS argued that this allows
extremists to enhance its recruitment drive as well as generating
publicity and propaganda, using the example of ISIS (also known
as the Islamic State, ISIL and Daesh.)

Greater automation and use of technology will kill off
lots of human jobs and therefore create greater economic
inequality — UBS warned that automation threatens
lower-skilled (and usually lower paid) workers' jobs meaning that
this could cause heightened political tensions due to "increasing
economic inequality."